Life does not end if you are forced to stay on campus during Christmas break

When the days become dark and windy, when the cold makes your bones aching or force you to feel the real weather of England, when your friends go back to their countries to celebrate Christmas with their families, you may feel alone in Cranfield. If you are stuck on campus for any reason, it seems like your life has ended and you will not be able to survive in Cranfield. However, I have to disappoint you my dear reader, there are a lot of things you can do during Christmas break and create your own little, but funny party. As a student, who has passed through this path, I want to give you some useful tips. Are you ready? All right, let’s go!

1. You want to have fun. It does not sound weird; everyone just wants to forget about exams and spend the holidays with their friends and family. However, if you are forced to stay here, use your time by turning from a student into a traveller. You will have much time to discover England. Firstly, from my own experience, I can recommend you to go to Cambridge and Oxford. The architecture in these cities is stunning. You will see very beautiful and historical buildings, campuses of the universities and will be able to learn fascinating facts about famous students who graduated from these Universities. Also, you will visit some museums and galleries such as the Museum of Natural History, Modern Art Oxford, etc. Last but not least, you will have a lunch/dinner in a good restaurant while enjoying the amazing atmosphere of Christmas.
2. If everyone in your class knows that you love chocolate, it means that you are a huge fan of sweets and should not miss the opportunity to visit Cadbury World. It is located in Birmingham, which is an urban city full of new and modern buildings. Cadbury World will remind you of your childhood, make you feel and act as a kid and become a part in the process of producing chocolate. Finally, you will eat many tasty chocolate bars 🙂 Do not forget about the German Christmas market. It is amazing. Tasty food, beverages, music and fun.
3. What about Liverpool and Manchester? You should definitely visit these cities. Since it is a quite long journey going there from Cranfield, I would advise that you should stay there at least one night.
4. London – There is nothing to add. A city full of numerous attractive places, museums and galleries, shopping centres, restaurants and pubs.
5. Discover the UK. You do not need a visa for it. I fell in love with Scotland when I was watching the “Reign” series. I promised myself to go there sometime. So, if you have enough time and money, do it.
6. Can you guess where I was while writing this article? Yes, you are right: I was in the library. I know you would prefer to travel around the globe, discover different and amazing cultures, but sometimes the circumstances are different. So, do not waste your time by crying or complaining or trying to find reasons why you are here, just use your time by improving your language, reading your favourite books (the ones you dreamed of reading during the exam period), applying for graduate schemes and getting ready for the next term. Yes, I know, studying during the break time sounds weird, but you came here to become a good and competitive specialist. Hence, use your free time as a gift. I promise you, you will miss it in the near future.

Sounds good, right? This isn’t all; you will find many other activities while studying here. So, please do it if you are forced to stay on campus. Make your break unforgettable on your own.

Gohar Aramyan

Strategic Marketing MSc student